Kamov Ka-52 Alligator
Design and Construction The Kamov Ka-52 design and construction is based on the original Kamov Ka-50 concept, with no significant or subsequent modifications. An essential change, in comparison with the single-seat version, has been made in the extension of its fuselage, at its front part, due to the installation of the second ejection seat. The unification of the construction components and groups of the two-seater with the single-seater's version are said to account for more than 75%. The crew placement - one pilot alongside to the other, is expected to bring a better co-ordination of both the pilots' actions under various flight and fight regimes, as well as a less sophisticated equipment with controlling instruments which allows to avoid their doubling, as required for cockpits with two-men crew seated stepped up behind one another. Both the crew members are seating on identical K-37-800 ejection seats. Analogously to Kamov Ka-50, the seats are simultaneously activated by the same automatic emergency rescue system which, using pyro-cartridges, will jet-off the main rotor blades as the first step and only then will activate the seat mechanism. "Kamov Ka-52 | KAMOV HELICOPTERS". Armament and Equipment Despite the fact that the weight of the Ka-52's cabin armor as well as the number of ammunition carried for the 2A42 board gun were reduced, the take-off weight of the helicopter increased by 600 kg, i.e. to 10,400 kg. Flight parameters, however, are more inferior. The climbing ability of the helicopter is lower - 8 m/s (10 m/s for it's single-seat modification), allowable overload factor is only +3.0 g in comparison with the +3.5 g for the Ka-50 Werewolf. Hovering ceiling was also reduced from 4,000 m to 3,600 m. Maximum speed (#10 km/h), however, the operational range of 460 km remained unchanged. The previous experience has confirmed that, despite a significant automation, especially of the reconnaissance/fire system, integration of piloting and target destruction, is to demanding for a single pilot. Division of the tasks between two crew-members is an optimum solution, having positive effects particularly in stress situations. In the case of a two-member crew, the second crew-man will either control and carry on the fire or perform reconnaissance and target sighting tasks. This applies to individual flight as well as to the whole group, in the event of a co-ordination involving the Ka-50s single-seaters. The Kamov Ka-52 design and construction have also resolved the pilot training problem. The helicopter is equipped with a FAZOTRON cabin desk radio-locator allowing flies in adverse meteorological conditions and at night. The necessary information acquired by this radio-locator is transferred to cabin desk's multi-functional display screen. For conduction a fight, both pilots are equipped with range-finders built-in to their helmets and they can use nocto-visual eyepieces for night flights. For its own protection, the Alligator is equipped with rejectors of heat and radar misleading targets. The rejecters are placed in aerodynamic containers fitted at the wings' ends. Each casing (container) contains two rejectors for 32 misleading 26mm caliber targets each. The whole system works on principles of evaluated response based on infrared or electronic impulse irradiation. The helicopter's armament includes automatic, 30mm calibre guns 2A42. The podded armament of the Ka-52 helicopter can be identical to the armament carried by its single-seater version. In order to improve the Alligator's combat performance, addition types of ammunition have been added. The standard set of the podded armament includes 2x6 CIKHR anti-tank guided missiles and 2 x B-8V-20 blocks of unguided S-8 rockets of 80mm calibre. The fire range of the VIKHR antitank guided missiles is 8-10 km. However, their advanced version - VIKHR-M - is still being prepared. This is said to be effective when firing at light-armoured ground targets remote 12 to 15 km. Depending on the given combat mission, future armament of the Kamov Ka-52 can also included anti-aircraft guided missiles IGLA-V with infrared guiding systems or R-73 anti-aircraft guided missiles. Thanks to the desk's radar and laser system, the helicopter can also be armed with Ch-25ML short-range anti-ground guided missiles. "Kamov Ka-52 | KAMOV HELICOPTERS". Exports For export reasons, both the Kamov Ka-50 and Kamov Ka-52 can be equipped with foreign components as well. To feature as an example can be the Ka-52 exhibited in India that was equipped with a rotary sensor for thermo-visual rangefinders fitted under its nose, a night mission device produced by the French company Thomson-CSF. This is not the first co-operation of this kind. As early as 1995, a French container SATURN, designed for analogous purposes, appeared under the Ka-50's left wing. The Kamov Ka-50 and Kamov Ka-52 combat helicopters, are no doubt, helicopters of a very high performance, turning ability and firing power assured by an enormous arsenal of their weaponry. Their single-seat versions have no competitor in the world. "Kamov Ka-52 | KAMOV HELICOPTERS". References Category:Attack Helicopters Category:Active Russian military aircraft Category:Military Helicopters Category:Russian Aircraft Category:Russian Federation Category:Russian Air Force Category:Coaxial rotor helicopters Category:Kamov Aircraft